Signs of Darkness
by xFictionxAddictionx
Summary: When a failing marriage becomes influenced by events of the past, can Erik and Christine fix what went wrong so long ago?  Can love be given a second chance or was it doomed from the start?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: _My dearest readers, at least those of you who remain I would like to apologize for my long absence. I fear that the fairy of inspiration has truly left me, though I hope this isn't the case. I deleted signs of darkness because I feel to I wrote it too close to the book. The whole point of fanfiction is to write a new take on it. So this is my second attempt at it. I hope you will all continue reading and give me feedback._

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Characters except those who I may create myself. All credit goes to Gaston Leroux, ALW and Susan Kay.**

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_ Signs of Darkness_: When a husband and wife begin to grow a part, things from the past begin to repeat themselves. Is it too late to fix the wrongs of years long gone, or can the power of love overcome all?

Christine Tournay pulled her small black BMW into the drive of the chateau she had called home for the past year, a feeling of dread washing over her as she gazed up at the looming building ahead of her. How many years had this prison? How many unhappy wives had returned to their husbands here? How many years would it be till death finally embraced her? These questions all swirled through Christine's mind as she slid the key into the deadbolt before slowly swinging the door open. Silence was all that greeted her, not that she was surprised or disappointed. She had grown accustomed to coming home only to find that her husband was no where to be found. She walked down the hall, down a small flight of steps and into the kitchen. Though she knew the help had the day off, she still looked around before opening the door to the wine cellar.

As always her heart gave an uncomfortable lurch as she stepped into the darkness, grabbing the flashlight she had placed by the door the following day she quickly made her way down the steps. A slight shiver raced down her spine as she looked around, she directed the beam of light from the flashlight around the space, though it seemed that it didn't quite illuminate the darkest corners. Heading down the closest row of wines she quickly selected a bottle of red wine, not noticing the date as she tucked it under her arm and made her way back upstairs.

Setting the bottle down on the counter she searched for the cork screw and before long had poured a generous amount of the blood red liquor into a large wine glass. She sighed in relief just before lifting the glass to her lips. She could smell the wine, almost taste it and would have had she not heard the sound of a car door slamming. Muttering a curse under her breath she tried to hide the glass and the bottle of wine in one of the nearest cabinets, wondering why on earth her husband was home early.

She took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down before her husband entered the house and eventually found her. 'Maybe I do have time for a drink, would help me calm down anyway' she thought bitterly. In the distance she could hear the front door slam before the sound of footsteps came closer and closer towards her own location. It always unnerved her how he always knew just where she was. She braced herself, leaning against the kitchen counter just as he came into view. She had to admit, even after a year of a mostly unhappy marriage her husband was as breath taking as ever. Dressed in a black suit, the tie slightly loosened, his broad shouldered frame fitting perfectly into the tailored suit, his black hair framing his face perfectly, his eyes...his eyes which were neither blue nor green but were undoubtedly the most amazing eyes she'd ever seen. The slight scar that marred his right cheek did nothing to take away the beauty of his features. She had to tear her eyes away before addressing him, knowing that if she did not he would surely hear the admiration in her voice and the last thing she needed was him knowing that he still had power over her.

"Erik, you're home early." She said calmly, never quite knowing how she managed to so quickly appear calm when inside she was falling apart. Erik looked at his wife, and frowned wondering not for the first time why he had ever decided to marry. Sure Christine was beautiful, a good person, she had money, intelligence, everything he should have wanted but as he looked at her he felt nothing but disgust. Not with her, but with himself. He was weak to give into her, weak for-

"Are you all right? You seem a bit out of it husband." Christine said coldly, crossing her arms over her chest. She watched as the color drained Erik's face when she called him 'husband' and felt her heart give a painful thump.

"I'm fine, disappointed to find me home so early are we?" He replied, his tone easily sending another shiver down her spine. She shrugged off the feeling and turned her back on Erik as she reached into the cabinet for the glass of wine. She no longer cared what her husband thought, it seemed he didn't care how he hurt her so why shouldn't she indulge in a little drink.

"Don't be silly, your return and the brooding that comes along is all I look forward to anymore." She said, flashing him a sardonic grin before quickly draining her glass of wine, the sound of retreating footsteps causing her heart to beat painfully beneath her breast. She set the glass down, feeling torn between the urge to weep and the urge to scream and go after her husband and throw the damn bottle of wine at him. Maybe that would finally break past the barriers that seemed to have grown between them.

Though she greeted her husband with cold indifference, though she was angry at him more often than not she still loved him. But the pain that seemed to grow with each day that he drifted further away from her transformed into anger. Anger that she didn't understand why her husband no longer seemed to love her. Why should she care though when he no longer did? When he was rarely home, and when he was he was locked away in his study, eating dinner alone and no longer sleeping in the same room with her? It was these thoughts that had her reaching into the cabinet, it was these thoughts that had her filling the glass time and again till there was not a drop left in the bottle, it was these thoughts that swam in her mind just before everything went black.

XXX

Erik sat in his study examining a large book, a book that he had examined countless times since his youth. Despite the fact he practically knew the contents by heart, he still looked through it as though some mystery would suddenly be revealed between the yellowed pages. But even if some new piece of information were revealed he wouldn't have noticed because his thoughts were consumed with Christine. In the depths of his mind he knew it wasn't right that he had been practically ignoring her for all this time. He knew she wasn't one to drink and that he was the reason she was turning to the bottle since she couldn't turn to him. But he didn't want to deal with that. He didn't want to care, but he did. Try as he might he could not rid himself of the love he still had for Christine, even if he had withdrawn from her, even if he made himself believe he didn't love her. But now she no longer believed he loved her and in this way he was finally getting somewhere. Because if she didn't believe he loved her she would leave him alone, and he wanted so desperately to be alone. Or so he thought.

Even from two floors above the kitchen the sound of shattering glass broke through his thoughts. Before he could stop himself he was out of his chair and out the door, hoping that Christine had not managed to hurt herself. He raced down into the kitchen, stopping when he his eyes landed on Christine's motionless body on the floor, shards of glass on the floor around her. He walked towards her, the glass crunching beneath his shoes. He stooped down and carefully picked Christine up, he carried her up the stairs and into the sitting room before setting her down on the divan. He hoped she would not wake, though at the same time he longed to see her eyes open and look at him with love and trust instead of the usual hurt and disappointment that her gray orbs had housed for so long now.

He looked her over, making sure there wasn't any glass embedded in her porcelain skin. Making sure that she wasn't injured though he was sure once she awoke she wouldn't be in the best shape. Once he was satisfied there wasn't any glass in her skin, hair or clothing he draped a throw blanket over her form, he needed to clean up the mess in the kitchen but before he left the room he bent over her, and quickly pressed a kiss to her forehead. As soon as his lips touched her smooth skin, as soon as he breathed in the scent of her hair and skin, as soon as the longing to take her into his arms filled him he immediately regretted his decision and quickly fled the room.

Upon returning to the kitchen he quickly swept up the shards of glass and threw them out along with the wine bottle, but not before he looked at the date. 1870. He put it out of his mind, no use trying to make something out of nothing. Surely this was all a coincidence. Shaking his head he shut off the lights in the kitchen and apprehensively returned to the sitting room to check on Christine.

She was still not awake, and it seemed that her cheeks had lost their flushed appearance. In fact she looked extremely pale. He knelt down beside the divan and placed his hand on her forehead which was cool to the touch, but as he began to withdraw his hand, her eyes fluttered open. Though as his eyes met hers they were not the eyes he knew. In fact they appeared to be a bright blue. But it was her voice as she began to speak that was the most unsettling.

"Why Erik what has happened to your mask?" She asked in a soft, almost musical voice. A voice that clearly had a slight French accent. She blinked a few times, her eyes settling on the right side of his face. She gasped, her hand moving towards his cheek, before softly stroking it with the tips of her cold fingers. "Your face...it is different. The scar is almost completely gone. What a miracle Erik!" She moved to sit up, but slumped back against the chair, her eyes closing briefly. "I feel..absolutely horrid." She whispered, placing the back of her hand against her forehead. Erik watched, unable to say anything for a moment, before his confusion turned to impatient anger.

"You've clearly had too much to drink, now stop this nonsense and lets get you to bed." Christine frowned at his tone, looking up at him with those eyes which oddly seemed familiar to him.

"What have I done to make you so upset angel?" Christine asked in the same soft, almost childlike voice. Erik began to shake his head before leaning over and gathering her form in his arms. Christine laughed softly, the childish tone suddenly gone from her as she continued to look up at him. "So we are finally going to bed are we?" She asked in a silky tone, as she wrapped her arms around his neck as she lifted her from the divan. Erik felt heat in his cheeks at her words but ignored her, thinking surely this must be just another one of her games. But it seemed Christine had more to say. "You know, I too have wanted this for quite some time. Since that night you first revealed to me that you are indeed a living breathing man instead of the angel I had thought you to be...I must admit I was shocked at first. Though rather pleased. Who would have thought angels were so dark and passionate?" She said, before laughing softly again. Erik nearly dropped her. How much had she had to drink? He had only found the one bottle, but she had never held her liquor well...

"Oh don't look so shocked, surely you must realize I am a woman. Even if you did try to keep me a pure an innocent child, I am sure you'll find the change welcome. After all it is you who instilled such a passion within me." Christine looked up at Erik as he made his way out of the sitting room trying to ignore her words and unwavering gaze. Christine remained silent for a while as he carried her down the hall and up the stairs, but as he carried her into the bedroom she now slept in alone she began speaking once more.

"It is so cold in here." And even as she said it she began to shiver, Erik's concern grew but he wasn't entirely sure as what to do when she was behaving this way. He set her on the bed and was about to leave the room to turn on the heater, but Christine grabbed his wrist. He looked down at her, impatience and concern causing him to want to comfort her but also to get as far away from her as possible. "Why do you always leave me?" She asked, her voice soft as her eyes looked up into his. He could clearly see the pain in her now blue eyes and felt guilty for putting such a look there..something he felt he had done times before even if he hadn't been aware of it before. Before he realized what he was doing he leaned over and kissed her forehead before gently stroking her cheek with the tips of his fingers, but as he realized what he was doing he quickly dropped his hand as if burned.

"Foolish girl, you always toy with me and tempt me so. I'll have none of it, your games won't work anymore." He hissed before storming from the room. Erik ran a hand through his hair, frustration, confusion and disgust running through his boiling blood with each accelerated beat of his heart. He paced the hall, wondering what had happened to Christine. What had caused this odd change in her behavior? Or was it really just the amount of wine she had consumed? He grew more and more concerned, though in the back of his mind he knew that he was ultimately to blame for the situation. He was to blame for the relationship he now had with his wife. It was his fault that their once happy marriage was now quickly falling apart.

Erik decided it would be best if he had someone check on Christine, just to make sure she'd be okay. He walked into his study, looked up the number of a long time friend and called the man who he hoped still only lived a half an hour away.

"Hello?" Came a slightly accented voice from the other line.

"Nadir?" Erik asked, with a trace of doubt in his voice.

"This is he. Is that you Erik?"

"It is. It's good to hear your voice once more my friend. I am sorry it took this long for me to call you, and that it is under these circumstances. I was wondering if perhaps you could come and check on my wife. I'm afraid she's fallen ill.."Erik trailed off. Was ill the right term? More like delusional, but Erik kept that opinion to himself.

"Of course. We can catch up later. I'm on my way Erik. I'll see you in a bit." Nadir swiftly hung up and grabbed his black doctors bag and was about to head out of the house when something stopped him. Though Erik had said his wife had fallen ill, Nadir suddenly had the impression that there was something more to it. Heading his own study, he grabbed another small bag from behind his desk. Satisfied that he was prepared for whatever he would find he got into his car and headed to his long time friends house.

XXX

Erik paced the hall by the front door, waiting for the sound of a car pulling up the drive. It felt like hours had gone by, but when Erik looked at the face of the grandfather clock he saw that it had only be twenty minutes. Finally after fifteen more minutes of frantic pacing, Erik heard a car pull up. He practically threw himself out the door to meet his friend. When Nadir stepped out of his car, he and Erik looked each other over for a moment. It had been nearly five years since they had seen each other last. Nadir's once raven hair, was now streaked with strands of gray, though the older man pulled it off well. Erik on the other hand looked no different, except for the miserable expression he now wore on his face.

"Erik, good man. I do hope everything is all right with this wife of yours." Nadir said kindly, embracing his friend for a moment before they headed for the front door. Once inside Erik turned to him, a frown still apparent in his eyes if not on his face.

"I'm sure she's fine. Just had a bit much to drink. None the less..something seems off." Erik explained as they made their way up the stairs toward the bedroom Christine now slept in alone. Erik opened the door for his friend and followed him in. Erik glanced at the bed and felt a wave of fury wash over him. Christine was no longer laying down on the bed. Erik walked past Nadir, to the bathroom door. He knocked softly, trying to control his anger as much as possible.

"Christine?" He called, though even he could hear the warning tone in his voice.

"Erik darling, is that you?" Came her silky and rather sarcastic reply from the other side of the door.

"Yes Christine. Now please come out. I have called a doctor to check you over to make sure you are all right." There was a brief moment of silence following Erik's words before the bathroom door swung open. Christine stood before Erik, her dark brown waves of hair pinned back away from her face. Her cheeks appeared flushed once more, and her eyes had returned to their grey color, though they looked at Erik with an accusing coldness that he had not seen there before. She had wrapped a light blue robe around her form, and as she stood in the doorway, Erik could feel a sense of familiarity once more that he had been in this situation before.

"Erik, my love I am absolutely fine. Though I don't particularly appreciate you inviting..guests without informing me beforehand." Christine's cold gaze moved from Erik's face to Nadir who was still standing by the bed. He smiled at her, and despite herself Christine suddenly softened. There came a feeling of trust as she looked at the mans dark skin and kind features.

"Madame, I am most sorry to bother you, but your husband seemed quite concerned." Nadir offered, cautiously approaching them. Christine turned once more to look at Erik, a cool smile gracing her lips.

"Concerned, I'm sure." Christine stepped around Erik and approached the man, extending her hand to him. "Monsieur, my name is Christine Daae. I apologize that I was not prepared for your visit or I would have been much more hospitable. I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course Miss Daae. I'm Nadir Akananda." He replied, taking her hand in his own and raising it to his lips. Christine smiled warmly at him, before looking over her shoulder at Erik.

"Erik, since our help is off and since I'm as you insist, still not quite well, would you please show Mr. Akananda to his room?" Nadir was about to refuse, to explain that he had only come to make sure she was in good health. But as he looked into the young womans eyes there was something there that made him keep his refusal to himself.

Erik looked slightly shocked for a moment, before he simply nodded. "Nadir my friend, please follow me. Together the men exited the room, both very aware of the door slamming shut behind them. Nadir knew something was off. Very off indeed. He assumed his friend had not been married very long. And for a newly wedded couple they both seemed equally miserable in this relationship. Cold resentment radiated off of them both as they interacted with each other, yet Nadir was sure that beneath it there was something more.

"Erik...I cannot help but feel that I am intruding." Nadir began, as Erik showed him into a large, comfortable room down the hall.

"Nonsense. It would be our pleasure to have you here." Erik said, attempting to smile at his friend. Nadir couldn't help but feel the sense of the dread that seeped into him due to this whole situation. It just wasn't right.

"Erik, I don't mean to pry but it's obvious that there isn't exactly warmth between you and Christine." Nadir knew he would have to be cautious with this subject. In the long time he had known Erik, the younger man was never very forth coming with information regarding his personal life.

"All couples have their occasional lovers spats." Erik replied, trying to sound convincing.

"Forgive me my friend, but this doesn't seem like your typical lovers spat. Erik, I know you do not confide in others easily, but I want to understand-"

"You forget your place Nadir. I invited you to make sure my wife is all right. Not to dissect our personal lives." Erik had his hand on the door knob, ready to leave the room but Nadir stopped him.

"Erik, my wanting to understand what is happening here has everything to do with making sure Christine is all right." Nadir was now convinced that something was definitely wrong. And whatever it was Erik wasn't going to share the details willingly.


	2. Chapter 2

Christine paced before her bedroom window, occasionally looking out at the dark grounds that had once so enchanted her. But now as she gazed out at the the property she no longer saw it as a fairytale setting but as a prison. She had once been so happy to come here; to start a new life with her then loving husband. But their happy ending had been shattered once Erik began treating her like a nuisance instead of his beloved wife. Where as he had once confided in her, sharing with her all his thoughts and dreams, his desires and plans, he now barely uttered a word to her. The man who had once lovingly caressed her face and body now shuddered with revulsion anytime she attempted to touch him. It was as if the man she had loved had been replaced with a horribly mean and slightly frightening man. A man she was coming to see more and more as a beast with each passing day.

Her pacing became more frantic as more and more thoughts raced through her head. _What have I done wrong? Why does he find me so repulsive? Why does he no longer love me? Why, why why... _The thoughts were so tormenting she had the urge to rip the hair from her head, to beat her fists against the walls, the scream at the top of her lungs and demand answers. But she knew that none of these things would solve the problems that were now no longer ignorable. Something had gone wrong, terribly wrong and she feared if she continued to do nothing more than just her fairytale marriage would be lost.

XXX

Erik downed another glass of whiskey, the liquid scorching his throat as it made its way down towards his stomach. He was beyond furious. His control was slipping away more and more with each passing day. Why had he ever allowed himself to get married. Why had he allowed himself to become bewitched by the girl he knew was pacing the floor above him. Why did he care? He was more consumed than ever with the dark thoughts that had begun to plague him the day he married Christine. He had been drawn to her years ago; they had both been attending a party thrown by a mutual acquaintance and seeing as she was the only one besides himself who had no desire to socialize he had approached her. The rest was as they say, history. They had quickly fallen in love and before he knew it he had asked her to marry him. And here they both were, both alone and absolutely miserable. He had no doubt she loved him, in fact he knew she still adored him and that was probably what hurt her most. He rejected her at every opportunity and hurt her whenever she was vulnerable enough to allow him to do so. Although he had never resorted to physical violence, he never failed to either completely ignore her presence or use cold, hurtful words to send her from the room with silent tears streaming down her face.

And though it hurt him to do so, he simply couldn't stop. It was as if there was some deep down instinctual need for him to inflict as much pain as possible upon the woman he had once treasured and adored. As if she had somehow wronged him beyond forgiveness. He treated her as if she were sleeping with someone else, as if she were a cold calculating woman who had sought to hurt him first. In a way he almost wished that was the case, then at least his treatment of her would at least be partially deserved. But it was not, and he knew this, but he could _not _stop. It seemed the deep, dark part of him suddenly became the dark demanding whole of him. His feelings, concerns and love for her had been pushed aside, taking the tiny place where this horrible darkness had once been. Whenever this smaller, better part of him gave into the feelings of love and concern for her the darker part took over, replacing good thoughts with bad ones. _'She will hurt you, she will betray you! Destroy her before she can destroy you!' _Little by little these thoughts had become more frequent till they were almost all he thought. With each day he felt less and less sympathy for his wife and more and more anger towards the woman who he had once loved more than anything else.

He hadn't noticed how hard he had been squeezing the glass in his hand till it shattered within his grasp causing sharp shards of glass to embed themselves within his palm and fingers. He hissed, standing up so abruptly his chair toppled over. This was the second time tonight he'd have to pick glass out of flesh and this time he was too inebriated to go a decent job of it. Recognizing defeat he headed towards the room Nadir was in and pounded his uninjured fist upon the wood door.

"Good lord, I may be your guest but what in the world makes you think you have the right to pound upon my door at such a ridiculous hour?" Nadir scowled up at the taller man, no sign of intimidation upon his exotic features. Erik pushed his way past the shorter man, displaying his bloody palm as he entered the room.

"Why don't you stop speaking and just get to work," Erik growled, seating himself on the edge of Nadir's bed. Nadir didn't bother replying as he searched through his bag till he had extracted a pair of large tweezers and antiseptic. He set to work, quickly and expertly removing the small shards still in the younger man's skin. He didn't even bother asking how Erik had managed to get so much glass embedded into his palm, but continued pulling out thin pieces of glass. When he was finished he cleaned Erik's hand and wound some strips of gauze around his palm.

"You're as repaired as you could ever manage to be. Now I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me to my rest," Nadir stood, and opened the door signaling for Erik to exit his room. The other man didn't hesitate and stormed past his ill-treated friend, inwardly laughing as he heard the door slamming shut behind him. Nadir had courage, that was for sure. But Erik owed him a lot, no other man would get away with how he responded to Erik, but then again Nadir was the only one who had remained his friend despite Erik's foul behavior.

Erik didn't know what to do with himself. He wasn't tired, he didn't think drinking more would be of any benefit nor did he care to sit down and occupy himself with more mind numbing work. What he felt like doing was heading to Christine's room and shaking her till she revealed how it was she was going to betray him, what her plan had been all along. He knew she was hiding something, her false tears couldn't fool him. He'd get to the bottom of this. _'She's done nothing wrong,' _the weaker part of him argued, but the darkness stifled such a plea and he set off towards her room.

He did the same as he had with Nadir's door, pounding upon it with fierce determination. He expected the door to swing open, to face either an enraged or an exhausted Christine but instead there came no reply. He pounded on the door once more, this time yelling: "Christine open the door!" Once more he was greeted with silence. He realized he'd get no response and tried the door knob, surprised to find the door unlocked. When he stepped inside, the room was dark but he immediately saw the room was empty. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard someone clearing their throat behind him.

"Looking for me?" Christine had her arms crossed over her chest, her head tilted to the side as she looked up with him with slightly amused grey eyes. "Obviously this is not a visit of the pleasant sort, so what do you want?"

Erik stared at her for a moment, stunned that she was so calmly addressing him when she was usually prone to crying due to his horrendous behavior. But he soon composed himself, he gave her a cold smile and swept towards her, grabbing her arms and pulling her towards him. "You're right dear wife, this isn't a pleasant visit. I've no wish to ever experience a pleasant moment with you again. You've no one to blame our situation on but yourself you know. You've brought this upon yourself, it is entirely your fault that our marriage is a farce. It is your fault that I no longer love you." At once he could see the pain he had managed to inflict with his words alone. It seemed like all the breath that had been in her body suddenly left her, leaving her nearly limp in his grasp. She opened her mouth and closed it, the words she tried to form making her appear like a fish out of water. He shook her, causing her teeth to chatter for a moment before she wrenched herself out of his grasp. She snapped out of her trance like state and pushed him away from her with all the strength she could muster.

"How dare you! I am your wife, whether you love me or not and I will not stand to be treated like this. I have done absolutely nothing wrong. I don't know what has caused this change in you, but it is appalling. You are no longer the man I loved. I am sorry that you no longer love me-" her voice wavered slightly as she said the words-"but there is no just reason for you to have lost such feelings. It is obvious you despise me, so why not rid yourself of me. You've more than enough money to divorce me." Christine felt her momentary composure slipping as she finished speaking and felt her body begin to tremble. It took more determination than she had to stay strong in the face of such pure hostility.

"You know how I feel about divorce. You swore yourself to me for life, and you will be mine whether I want you or not, till the day you die. As to your so called innocence, I'm no fool. I know how deceiving you truly are. You would have lied to me a betrayed me further if I had not figured you out as I have." Even as he spoke such cruel, steady words Christine could see the slightly crazed look in his eyes and it unnerved her almost more than the words themselves.

"I do not know how many times I must say this, but I have not lied to you nor have I betrayed you. Now if you're done I'd like to go to bed. I'm expecting guests tomorrow and I would like to be well rested before we receive them. The servants will be returning early tomorrow morning, I trust you'll be a good host to our guests, seeing as their your guests as well as mine," Christine said this quietly, matter-of-factly, all the former power and courage gone, replaced with only the desire to escape once more into her room. When Erik did not reply she moved past him and into her room, quickly shutting and locking the door behind her. For the night she was safe from him. For the night she could hope for peace. But come morning if the situation did not at least remain the same, she knew it would only worsen, and things could only go so far before more than just their marriage was ruined.

XXX

"Christine seemed really different on the phone mom. I don't know whats going on but it must be serious if she called out of the blue and at such a ridiculous hour." Meg looked across the car at her mother in the passenger seat. Marie simply nodded, taking in her daughter's words but not replying. She thought over all Meg had told her about her eldest daughter's situation. Christine wasn't one to complain, but she had made a few calls to Meg, telling her some tidbits about Erik's recent behavior. At first Meg hadn't told their mother, thinking it would blow over but it was now obvious things had become worse and Meg knew she could no longer hide the dire condition of Christine's marriage. Even if she chose not to divulge any information, her mother would soon enough see for herself and she would rather prepare her for such a shock.

Marie was astounded to say the least to learn of the condition of Christine's marriage. She remembered just how in love Erik and Christine had been before they were married and the months after. But it seemed that once the couple settled into the daily routines of married life, things had begun to fall apart in private. Erik had moved out of their bedroom, leaving Christine both hurt and confused. Meg didn't know too much, only that Christine felt that Erik was slipping away, and his behavior had begun to upset Christine more and more with each passing day.

Meg felt more than a little apprehensive when they pulled up to the massive gates that opened up to the Tournay estate. She pressed a small button and spoke into the receiver, "It's Meg." There came no response, but the gates swung open. Meg navigated her car up the drive and parked the car in the bend of the driveway. She put on a smile as two servants came out of the house to receive them and gather their luggage. Hand in hand Meg and their mother walked up the steps and in through the front doors. A moment later Christine, Meg and Marie were all wrapped in a large embrace. Marie immediately saw the change in her daughters face. She was thinner and paler and her eyes had a desperate, heartbroken look.

"Mom, Meg I'm so glad you're both here. It's been such a long time since we've been able to catch up, and...well there is no time like the present. I hope you don't mind the last minute invitation." Christine looked from sister to mother, the small smile on her face breaking both of their hearts.

"Not at all darling. You're my daughter, you always have a place in my calendar." Marie kissed Christine's forehead and the three of them headed into the dining room for brunch. Christine introduced Meg and her mother to Nadir, before apologizing for the absence of their host.

"He said he had some business to attend to, but I'm sure he'll be down to greet you later," Christine said with a false smile as they all sat down to their meals. Christine barely touched her food, though everyone else had no trouble digging in. The cook was obviously talented and no plate, save Christine's was left with a crumb of food. When Erik finally did come down to join them, it was to inform them that they'd be expecting two more guest.

"Who?" Christine asked, curious as to who could stand to be around her husband when he was acting like such a beast.

"Raoul and his secretary, Carla. They'll be here shortly. I hope you don't mind." With that Erik left them once more, though Christine had the urge to follow him and throw something heavy at the back of his head. Instead she suggested that her mother and sister get settled in their rooms. They agreed and followed Christine to the rooms she had designated for them.

"I'll let you two unpack. I'm going to get ready for our other two...unexpected guests." Christine kissed them both on the cheeks before leaving them. She craved a glass of wine-or perhaps something stronger to settle her nerves. She knew Carla, had met her the other times she had seen Raoul. Raoul was Erik's business partner and was often invited to any dinners or events they had. He never failed to bring his long legged, large busted secretary and though it was no secret she and Raoul were lovers, she had seen the way the red headed woman gazed at her husband. She didn't like it one bit nor did she care for the woman herself. While she had hoped to have some pleasant people around to take her mind off of things, it seemed her husband had other ideas. Now instead of a bit of peace, she'd have to resist the urge to not only kill herself or her husband, but to keep herself from clawing out the eyes of the provocative Carla.

XXX

"Erik, darling you absolutely must get your cook to give me the recipe for this mousse, it is absolutely exquisite," Carla purred, leaning too close towards Erik. Christine observed this as well as the other conversations around the table like an outsider looking in. She barely registered Raoul's slightly nasal voice saying her name. She regretted being seated next to him and wished Meg as her other neighbor would try and engage her in some conversation instead.

"This house really is amazing. I'm sure Erik is glad he is able to give his lovely wife such beautiful things," Raoul's voice was purposely low so Christine would have to lean closer to hear him. She plastered a fake smile on her face in response to his statement. "I'm happy to see Erik married. He always was sort of a loner, but I can see why he came out of his shell to talk to you. There's something very alluring about you," Raoul smiled, something she was sure would have charmed any other woman. She couldn't deny the fact that Raoul was handsome but even though her marriage was falling apart she couldn't ever imagine being with another man.

"Yes, well I'm happy to be his wife. He has brought a lot into my life," Christine said this, hoping her voice nor her face would betray what she was truly feeling. But at least it wasn't a complete lie, she was still happy to be Erik's wife and he did bring a lot into her life, even if a lot of it consisted of misery and heart break. She smiled once more at Raoul before turning to Meg and asking her to pass the salt even though she hadn't touched a bite of her food and wasn't planning on it. She leaned over to whisper in Meg's ear "I can hardly stand this. And just look at Carla, she's practically pawing at my husband." Meg's gaze moved across the table to look at Erik and Carla. It was quite obvious the woman found Erik attractive and it was obvious that Erik was oblivious. This at least brought Meg some peace, if Erik was indifferent to Carla's flirtation then chances were he wasn't looking for love in another womans arms. No matter how beautiful she was. Meg slipped her hand under the table and reached for Christine's. Her sisters hand was cold in her own, and she lightly squeezed it, giving her older sister a comforting smile. Christine sighed and sat back in her chair and went back to watching her husband interact with Carla.

Though there were no obvious signs that her husband was interested in Carla, Christine still couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Carla was gorgeous, there was no denying that, and she wasn't one to down play her looks. The dress she wore clung to her curves and showed off her long legs and ample bosom. Her long red hair cascaded down her back and her green eyes were so beautiful you couldn't help but stare at her. And Christine did stare, all the while feeling anger, jealousy and resentment course through her body. She wanted to do something dramatic. Maybe grab her napkin from her lap and fling it onto her plate as she abruptly rose from the table, glaring at her husband and the siren next to him before stalking out of the room. But instead she stayed seated, spending equal time staring into her plate or at Carla and Erik.

She felt an immense sense of relief when dinner was over and the party broke up, some to go talk and have some drinks in the sitting room, the rest to go for a stroll in the gardens. Christine chose to do neither and instead excused herself, saying she had a headache and wanted to lay down. No one really seemed to care whether or not she stayed so it was easy enough to slip away. When she finally escaped to her room she collapsed on the bed, wanting nothing more than for her bed to swallow her into soft nothingness. But she knew that she had to be strong, though she was crushed and heart broken she wasn't ready to lose her husband and if there was anyway to fix this she'd try.

XXX

Christine woke the following morning feeling a bit off. Her whole body felt like it was tingling and when she got out of bed she felt incredibly dizzy. But she didn't allow this to stop her from getting ready for the day ahead. As she dressed that morning she couldn't keep a smile off her face and soon found herself humming. She had no idea where this good mood was coming from, but she wasn't going to fight it. She hadn't felt this free in months.

Breakfast passed peacefully enough, even if Carla was still flirting with Erik. Christine wasn't going to let that bother her either, in fact she decided to do some flirting of her own. She felt terrible about the way she had treated Raoul the night before and decided to make up for it at every chance she had. She gave him her most dazzling smile during breakfast, complimented his sense of fashion, told him she thought his eyes were lovely. It didn't take long till Raoul was hanging on her every word and couldn't keep his eyes off of her. He was absolutely enchanted within in a matter of moments. Christine suggested taking a stroll in the gardens after breakfast knowing that everyone except Raoul would decline. He followed her out into the gardens like a puppy dog following a rather tasty treat.

Erik watched Christine's behavior throughout the day, not at all liking the way she smiled at Raoul. He had always envied the other mans looks; blonde hair, blue eyes, tall, handsome...every bit the knight in shining armor. But he had never felt threatened by the other man till now, Raoul had always gone for a different sort of woman...a woman like Carla. Yet now it seems his wife had caught the attention of his employee and he was not going to have it. He felt a growing sense of anger and betrayal as each moment passed. He saw the way Christine laughed, placing her delicate hand on Raoul's arm, the way Raoul's eyes wouldn't leave _his _wife. It was almost enough to make him throttle the man he had once called a friend right then and there. But that could wait, first he'd deal with Christine.

XXX

Christine laughed, the sound like music to Raoul's ears. They had been walking through the gardens for a half an hour and neither was in any rush to return to the rest of the party. Feeling much like a love struck boy, Raoul plucked a rose from a bush and presented it Christine with a flourish, she smiled as she accepted it but Raoul could see there was something wrong.

"You don't like roses?" He asked, instantly regretting not picking any other of a number of different flowers that were almost everywhere.

Christine looked up from the red rose she had been cradling in her hands, still with the same odd smile on her face. "No I do, They're my favorite in fact. You just so happened to also pick my favorite color."

Raoul decided not to question her further, he still didn't understand how his gift had upset her. "I guess we should return, they'll send out a search party if we stay out here any longer."

"You're right," Christine admitted, casting a dark look back at the house. But she took Raoul's arm and allowed him to lead her back to the house, making sure to kiss his cheek right before they entered the house once more. She chose her timing well, because had they still been out in the gardens she knew Raoul wouldn't have been able to resist the urge to grab her and kiss her. And though she was enjoying his attention, there was nothing more in it for her other than the entertainment and distraction.

Carla didn't even look at Christine or Raoul once they returned, she still couldn't keep her eyes or hands away from Erik, but she could see that she no longer held the man's attention. The moment his wife returned a darkness seemed to take over him, she could sense the emotions radiating off of him and couldn't help but take a step back, suddenly more than just a bit intimidated.

"Enjoy your stroll?" Erik's voice sounded casual but Christine could see the storm of anger and other dangerous emotions in his eyes and clearly reflected on his face.

"Why yes I did, thank you for asking. Raoul is excellent company." Christine's smirk was almost more than Erik could bear. She was playing games with him, just as he always knew she would. A barrage of foul thoughts swarmed through his mind as he looked at his wife, still holding onto Raoul's arm. He hastily excused himself and escaped into his office as fast as his legs would carry him. He could hide out here for the rest of the day and no one would bother him. It was well known that he was a busy man who always had a lot of business to tend to. However, he did not plan on having a rather unexpected guest interrupt his otherwise successful plan of escape.

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A/N: _I have two more chapters ready to post after this, however nice lovely reviews from you my readers will get them posted much more quickly!_


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